Wow... by popular demand, here is an onslaught of fluff.
Starting us off will be my dear friend Erina from Tokyo. Her blog is an endless supply of happiness for me. If it isn't what she says, it's how she says it. We love and miss her very much... You have to read the entry entitled "The Ending of the Year" and the part about american girls teaching her to dance sexy.
Julie, the girl that taught Erina to dance, is a great friend of ours as well. Those were good days.
Wow. I just had the worst string of songs on my mac just now. I have my collection of 6,830 songs on random, and I somehow had a Genesis song, followed by Alicia Keys, followed by the truly awful Canadian christian rock band Hokus Pick... I didn't listen to any of the songs, I simply punched past, but it did raise the question to myself "Why, oh why do I keep songs that are just awful? I mean, sure, these artists have some worthwhile songs... but what were those three? And how do I screen that out of my life?" In reality though, I don't have time to go through the mass of music that I have, and weed out the stuff I don't like. Besides, unlike some of my friends that have their tastes clearly defined, I do not. I am constantly changing the staples of my listening life. Sometimes I find myself glued to something I hated the year before, so I guess that the point is that more is better, and that next year, you'll find me jamming to Alicia Keys and Genesis. (If you do... shoot me)
Ok... Pedro the Lion just washed all the badness away with his cover of Let Down by Radiohead. What a great song. The opening guitar piece would make such a great cell phone ring tone.
Oh! I don't think that I've ever shared with you all the wonder of the world that is John Fluevog. His hand stitched leather shoes are unparalleled in coolness, and come in so many styles that they are sure to fit everyone's taste. "How do I get myself a pair of Fluevogs you ask?" I'll tell you. Drop what you're doing and direct your Firefox browser (that I know you're using instead of that crappy Internet Explorer by that crappy Micro-company) to www.fluevog.com
Alright... that's all the fluff for today. I'll try to provide some more later.
Peace!
P.S. Please continue to keep our finances in your prayers. This week's crisis is registering our cars for Colorado and getting updated tags. Curse the Californians and their stupid rules. They've brought so many idiotic tests and additional costs to the area!
Friday, December 30, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Macheavelli and Iraq
Iraqeavelli... fun word. Useless, but fun.
Anyway... I started reading "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli today. A friend at a Starbucks back in Illinois recommended it, and so I thought I'd give it a read. It's easily one of the most debated books in classic literature, mainly because of its cold and calculating looks at power. How to get it, and how to keep it. It was published in 1532 after his death, but is still incredibly poignant. Here is an excerpt from Chapter III.
"But when states are acquired in a country differing in language,
customs, or laws, there are difficulties, and good fortune and great
energy are needed to hold them, and one of the greatest and most real
helps would be that he who has acquired them should go and reside
there. This would make his position more secure and durable, as it has
made that of the Turk in Greece, who, notwithstanding all the other
measures taken by him for holding that state, if he had not settled
there, would not have been able to keep it. Because, if one is on the
spot, disorders are seen as they spring up, and one can quickly remedy
them; but if one is not at hand, they are heard of only when they are
great, and then one can no longer remedy them. Besides this, the
country is not pillaged by your officials; the subjects are satisfied
by prompt recourse to the prince; thus, wishing to be good, they have
more cause to love him, and wishing to be otherwise, to fear him. He
who would attack that state from the outside must have the utmost
caution; as long as the prince resides there it can only be wrested
from him with the greatest difficulty.
The other and better course is to send colonies to one or two places,
which may be as keys to that state, for it is necessary either to do
this or else to keep there a great number of cavalry and infantry.
A prince does not spend much on colonies, for with little or no expense
he can send them out and keep them there, and he offends a minority
only of the citizens from whom he takes lands and houses to give them
to the new inhabitants; and those whom he offends, remaining poor and
scattered, are never able to injure him; whilst the rest being
uninjured are easily kept quiet, and at the same time are anxious not
to err for fear it should happen to them as it has to those who have
been despoiled. In conclusion, I say that these colonies are not
costly, they are more faithful, they injure less, and the injured, as
has been said, being poor and scattered, cannot hurt. Upon this, one
has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed,
because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more
serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a
man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of
revenge.
But in maintaining armed men there in place of colonies one spends
much more, having to consume on the garrison all the income from the
state, so that the acquisition turns into a loss, and many more are
exasperated, because the whole state is injured; through the shifting
of the garrison up and down all become acquainted with hardship, and
all become hostile, and they are enemies who, whilst beaten on their
own ground, are yet able to do hurt. For every reason, therefore, such
guards are as useless as a colony is useful."
There.
Is that crazy or what? I've often felt that our country, that our government is much more suited to conquest. But the "morals" or culture of our country will not let something as heartless and unjust as conquest take place. Another republic in the past was fond of conquest and it worked out for them for a long time... however, their lack of tolerance and justice for those with different views saw their downfall. Not to mention the complete disintegration of their moral fiber. (I like saying moral fiber... I feel like Dan Quayle.) All the same. A little advice for the government of the people, for the people, but held back from doing what they really want by the people. How do you conquer Iraq without it looking like you've conquered Iraq? Liberate them.
I don't like this translation as much as the one I'm reading in book form, but it was the only online version available, and I am not about, I don't care how much I like the quote, to type anything this long.
NOTE: The online text file of this book and many classic works of literature can be obtained free of charge on the incredibly awesome Project Gutenberg. One of the oldest websites, and projects on the internet, this online compendium of literature is truly amazing. Check it out!
Anyway... I started reading "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli today. A friend at a Starbucks back in Illinois recommended it, and so I thought I'd give it a read. It's easily one of the most debated books in classic literature, mainly because of its cold and calculating looks at power. How to get it, and how to keep it. It was published in 1532 after his death, but is still incredibly poignant. Here is an excerpt from Chapter III.
"But when states are acquired in a country differing in language,
customs, or laws, there are difficulties, and good fortune and great
energy are needed to hold them, and one of the greatest and most real
helps would be that he who has acquired them should go and reside
there. This would make his position more secure and durable, as it has
made that of the Turk in Greece, who, notwithstanding all the other
measures taken by him for holding that state, if he had not settled
there, would not have been able to keep it. Because, if one is on the
spot, disorders are seen as they spring up, and one can quickly remedy
them; but if one is not at hand, they are heard of only when they are
great, and then one can no longer remedy them. Besides this, the
country is not pillaged by your officials; the subjects are satisfied
by prompt recourse to the prince; thus, wishing to be good, they have
more cause to love him, and wishing to be otherwise, to fear him. He
who would attack that state from the outside must have the utmost
caution; as long as the prince resides there it can only be wrested
from him with the greatest difficulty.
The other and better course is to send colonies to one or two places,
which may be as keys to that state, for it is necessary either to do
this or else to keep there a great number of cavalry and infantry.
A prince does not spend much on colonies, for with little or no expense
he can send them out and keep them there, and he offends a minority
only of the citizens from whom he takes lands and houses to give them
to the new inhabitants; and those whom he offends, remaining poor and
scattered, are never able to injure him; whilst the rest being
uninjured are easily kept quiet, and at the same time are anxious not
to err for fear it should happen to them as it has to those who have
been despoiled. In conclusion, I say that these colonies are not
costly, they are more faithful, they injure less, and the injured, as
has been said, being poor and scattered, cannot hurt. Upon this, one
has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed,
because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more
serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a
man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of
revenge.
But in maintaining armed men there in place of colonies one spends
much more, having to consume on the garrison all the income from the
state, so that the acquisition turns into a loss, and many more are
exasperated, because the whole state is injured; through the shifting
of the garrison up and down all become acquainted with hardship, and
all become hostile, and they are enemies who, whilst beaten on their
own ground, are yet able to do hurt. For every reason, therefore, such
guards are as useless as a colony is useful."
There.
Is that crazy or what? I've often felt that our country, that our government is much more suited to conquest. But the "morals" or culture of our country will not let something as heartless and unjust as conquest take place. Another republic in the past was fond of conquest and it worked out for them for a long time... however, their lack of tolerance and justice for those with different views saw their downfall. Not to mention the complete disintegration of their moral fiber. (I like saying moral fiber... I feel like Dan Quayle.) All the same. A little advice for the government of the people, for the people, but held back from doing what they really want by the people. How do you conquer Iraq without it looking like you've conquered Iraq? Liberate them.
I don't like this translation as much as the one I'm reading in book form, but it was the only online version available, and I am not about, I don't care how much I like the quote, to type anything this long.
NOTE: The online text file of this book and many classic works of literature can be obtained free of charge on the incredibly awesome Project Gutenberg. One of the oldest websites, and projects on the internet, this online compendium of literature is truly amazing. Check it out!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Busy
Hey folks...
Thanks for checking back in.
I'll have something of interest up soon. Lots of exciting things going on!
Later!
Jim
Thanks for checking back in.
I'll have something of interest up soon. Lots of exciting things going on!
Later!
Jim
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Sarah baby photos
Well, folks... here's the first set. 15 weeks... and I think she's sucking it in a bit in the photos.She's a little bigger in real life.
lol.
isn't she cute?
Monday, December 12, 2005
A new look
Well, I decided that I wanted to have a simpler look to the blog for awhile. And you couldn't get simpler than this.
Also, there are a few added changes to the links section. Most notably, Sarah has a blog! She finally started a Myspace account, and is using it as a blog, so go check it out, make her your friend, and let happiness ensue!
Other additions are our good friend Joni, my parents, and our new church out here in colorado springs.
Peace out.
Also, there are a few added changes to the links section. Most notably, Sarah has a blog! She finally started a Myspace account, and is using it as a blog, so go check it out, make her your friend, and let happiness ensue!
Other additions are our good friend Joni, my parents, and our new church out here in colorado springs.
Peace out.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
A Rant for Jim. (Not me... the other Jim.) Well, ok, it's for me too.
And how.
This week has flown by. It's been crazy at work, but that's the Christmas season at Starbucks. I've worked a little overtime this week, which is not allowed, but good for our finances. Today was a day from hell at work, but not because it was busy, or because any pipes exploded... no... today's suckiness was caused by just about every barista I worked with today was covering for someone else's shift, or having their shift covered, or covering for the person that should have been covering for somebody that told the person who originally had the shift that they would cover for them, but couldn't because of "finals." (True story)
Ok. A moment for the bozos that act like finals are an act of God. It's like finals are a completely uncontrollable and unexpected booby trap devised by professors to trick them into failing the classes they would naturally ace if it weren't for those crazy FINALS! "Yeah... so I was totally headed for my 4.0 when my prof thought up this crazy thing! A final exam!!! What the heck?"
And what makes these people even more annoying is that most of them are studying to be teachers. TEACHERS! These are girls who have a terribly hard time balancing work and study... and want to have a career totally based around studying. Bright people these people. And there are few people on earth as condescending to homeschoolers as elementary school teachers. When I say that I was homeschooled, they look at me like I've just said that I'm a commie pinko and that God isn't American. By the way, God isn't American. Seriously, they take me not attending a public school as a personal insult. It's like telling a politician that you don't vote.
Anyway... today at work, thirty-leven people changed shifts, which makes it incredibly difficult to figure out when they should take their breaks, where they should work, and what they should be doing. Which is in fact, MY responsibility. It's all very complex. And when I think I've got it all figured out, somebody says something like "I really don't want to work drivethru today... oh, and I'd like to go home 6 hours early... cause I've got finals, which you wouldn't understand you idiot homeschooler."
"Sure."
It just gets old. And I can't just hit them with the Starbucks stick and throw them out the drive thru window... at least I don't think I can. Let me check the handbook.
Ok... I'm done ranting. I'm going to bed. Sarah is such a cool person. She doesn't make my brain cry.
Later.
This week has flown by. It's been crazy at work, but that's the Christmas season at Starbucks. I've worked a little overtime this week, which is not allowed, but good for our finances. Today was a day from hell at work, but not because it was busy, or because any pipes exploded... no... today's suckiness was caused by just about every barista I worked with today was covering for someone else's shift, or having their shift covered, or covering for the person that should have been covering for somebody that told the person who originally had the shift that they would cover for them, but couldn't because of "finals." (True story)
Ok. A moment for the bozos that act like finals are an act of God. It's like finals are a completely uncontrollable and unexpected booby trap devised by professors to trick them into failing the classes they would naturally ace if it weren't for those crazy FINALS! "Yeah... so I was totally headed for my 4.0 when my prof thought up this crazy thing! A final exam!!! What the heck?"
And what makes these people even more annoying is that most of them are studying to be teachers. TEACHERS! These are girls who have a terribly hard time balancing work and study... and want to have a career totally based around studying. Bright people these people. And there are few people on earth as condescending to homeschoolers as elementary school teachers. When I say that I was homeschooled, they look at me like I've just said that I'm a commie pinko and that God isn't American. By the way, God isn't American. Seriously, they take me not attending a public school as a personal insult. It's like telling a politician that you don't vote.
Anyway... today at work, thirty-leven people changed shifts, which makes it incredibly difficult to figure out when they should take their breaks, where they should work, and what they should be doing. Which is in fact, MY responsibility. It's all very complex. And when I think I've got it all figured out, somebody says something like "I really don't want to work drivethru today... oh, and I'd like to go home 6 hours early... cause I've got finals, which you wouldn't understand you idiot homeschooler."
"Sure."
It just gets old. And I can't just hit them with the Starbucks stick and throw them out the drive thru window... at least I don't think I can. Let me check the handbook.
Ok... I'm done ranting. I'm going to bed. Sarah is such a cool person. She doesn't make my brain cry.
Later.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Back online with pictures...
Well, Adelphia Cable wasn't able to get us hooked up on Friday, and their earliest date was this morning... so we're back online! Sarah and I had the weekend off, which we spent working on getting the new apartment set up. It is WONDERFUL! So much better than the last place. No bad smells... no sirens outside the window. And the view is great.
Here are some pics from our first few days here.
Dad asked me to take a few pics of Sarah and post her "progress" on the blog, so we'll get those pics up asap! Love you all. Thanks so much for all of your support during the last few weeks!
Jim
Here are some pics from our first few days here.
Dad asked me to take a few pics of Sarah and post her "progress" on the blog, so we'll get those pics up asap! Love you all. Thanks so much for all of your support during the last few weeks!
Jim
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Walking forward into the foggy night...
Faith is weird. It feels like jumping out of a plane and has the same payoffs... Intensity. Thrill. Fear. Relief on landing. And we don't jump like the suicidal desperate... we jump with the most reliable, most amazing, never failing parachute you can use. It would be stupid to throw yourself into the abyss of life trusting everything to "work out" because you would quickly be proven wrong. But like a child on the edge of a pool, jumping into the arms of a loving parent, we trust. Trust and blind faith are two very different things. So trust we have, and God has once again, and in miraculous ways proved Himself trust-worthy.
At this moment, I write from the edge of a hopeless situation. Human hopelessness is so easy to attain. It can come very easily, and I have to keep using my "trust" to fight it off. On the other hand... we have come so far in the last week. I wrote of our needs last Monday. A staggering $1200+ defecit that we didn't have. To be raised in one week. With no possibility of Sarah being able to earn it. With no real possibility of me finding a way of making that kind of money. Our families would love nothing more than to help us, but are unable to financially. We were at the end of our ropes... or at least a few inches up. Well, the next day, our church responded with a $125 donation. Then came a generous gift and loan from a dear couple to us that equaled $500. The next day, we received a thanksgiving card with $200 in it from a couple that doesn't read the blog or know directly what we're going through! On Wednesday, our pastor gave me the church's donation, but in the meantime, someone had added $100 to the gift! We found out yesterday, that one of Sarah's relatives is planning on giving Sar a late but welcome graduation present of $100! Thus bringing the money that's coming in to $1025!!!
And that's before my Starbucks check!
Is that incredible or what?!?! What an amazing God we serve.
UPDATE!!! While I was typing... I just got this phone call!
Well, the stressful situation that I was describing earlier has just come to a relative close! When Sarah and I added up our pennies and dimes yesterday, and realized that we had the money now to get out of Tanglewood, get their referral (saying that we have paid them in full) and get our approval with Summer Grove across the street going, we wrote the check that minute and took it to Tanglewood's office. The girl there was in no hurry to do anything, and said that she'd post the check in the morning and slip the receipt under our door. Well, I had no doubt that she'd post the check, but I didn't think for a second that I wouldn't have to go over and pry the receipt and referral out of her hands when I got home from work on Thursday. (today) Anyway. I went to work this morning, and worked a princess (4 hour) shift till noon, and came home. On arriving at Summer Grove to check their progress, I found that Tanglewood hadn't answered their phone all day, and weren't responding to the faxes Summer Grove had been sending all morning! I went over, only to find the office closed with no explanation! On the first of the month! (Which is apparently the busiest day of the month for apartment people.) I did find the maintenance person, and she tried to be helpful, but she said that she hadn't seen the office manager all day. The maintenance girl gave me a receipt for the check, so at least I have proof... (it took her all of one minute to get the receipt.) but she couldn't help with the needed referral. So I went back to SG and brainstormed, then went home and looked up Tanglewood's corporate owner's number. I called them, explained the situation, and they called the property manager at home. She apparently had a family emergency, and decided not to tell her coworkers or anyone else that she wouldn't be in. Needless to say, they looked up our file on their server, called Summer Grove, and gave us the needed referral!!! So we're in! You heard it here first! We've been packing, and tonight a mix of baristas from Starbucks and people from church. (Baristas are not, in fact, people.)
Anyway... I've got alot to do! But that's the update for now! Thank you thank you thank you for your prayers and thoughts. We love all you guys!
Peace!
Jim
At this moment, I write from the edge of a hopeless situation. Human hopelessness is so easy to attain. It can come very easily, and I have to keep using my "trust" to fight it off. On the other hand... we have come so far in the last week. I wrote of our needs last Monday. A staggering $1200+ defecit that we didn't have. To be raised in one week. With no possibility of Sarah being able to earn it. With no real possibility of me finding a way of making that kind of money. Our families would love nothing more than to help us, but are unable to financially. We were at the end of our ropes... or at least a few inches up. Well, the next day, our church responded with a $125 donation. Then came a generous gift and loan from a dear couple to us that equaled $500. The next day, we received a thanksgiving card with $200 in it from a couple that doesn't read the blog or know directly what we're going through! On Wednesday, our pastor gave me the church's donation, but in the meantime, someone had added $100 to the gift! We found out yesterday, that one of Sarah's relatives is planning on giving Sar a late but welcome graduation present of $100! Thus bringing the money that's coming in to $1025!!!
And that's before my Starbucks check!
Is that incredible or what?!?! What an amazing God we serve.
UPDATE!!! While I was typing... I just got this phone call!
Well, the stressful situation that I was describing earlier has just come to a relative close! When Sarah and I added up our pennies and dimes yesterday, and realized that we had the money now to get out of Tanglewood, get their referral (saying that we have paid them in full) and get our approval with Summer Grove across the street going, we wrote the check that minute and took it to Tanglewood's office. The girl there was in no hurry to do anything, and said that she'd post the check in the morning and slip the receipt under our door. Well, I had no doubt that she'd post the check, but I didn't think for a second that I wouldn't have to go over and pry the receipt and referral out of her hands when I got home from work on Thursday. (today) Anyway. I went to work this morning, and worked a princess (4 hour) shift till noon, and came home. On arriving at Summer Grove to check their progress, I found that Tanglewood hadn't answered their phone all day, and weren't responding to the faxes Summer Grove had been sending all morning! I went over, only to find the office closed with no explanation! On the first of the month! (Which is apparently the busiest day of the month for apartment people.) I did find the maintenance person, and she tried to be helpful, but she said that she hadn't seen the office manager all day. The maintenance girl gave me a receipt for the check, so at least I have proof... (it took her all of one minute to get the receipt.) but she couldn't help with the needed referral. So I went back to SG and brainstormed, then went home and looked up Tanglewood's corporate owner's number. I called them, explained the situation, and they called the property manager at home. She apparently had a family emergency, and decided not to tell her coworkers or anyone else that she wouldn't be in. Needless to say, they looked up our file on their server, called Summer Grove, and gave us the needed referral!!! So we're in! You heard it here first! We've been packing, and tonight a mix of baristas from Starbucks and people from church. (Baristas are not, in fact, people.)
Anyway... I've got alot to do! But that's the update for now! Thank you thank you thank you for your prayers and thoughts. We love all you guys!
Peace!
Jim
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